Advanced Materials

Advanced Materials Manufacturing

New materials drive the development of innovative products. Building upon a rich history in materials science, ORNL is discovering and developing advanced materials that will help reinvigorate existing manufacturing industries and result in creative new products.

Stronger, more corrosion-resistant and lower cost steel alloys are being developed and commercialized to enable higher temperature and more energy-efficient operation in a variety of energy and industrial applications.

New carbon materials are enabling cleanup of contaminated water produced while drilling to release vast new natural gas resources.

Affordable new surface treatments and coating materials are being developed with wear and corrosion performance four to eight times that of heat-treated steels.